Boundaries
by Rose Thorne
Summary: Alya insists Marinette needs to give Lila a chance. Marinette is tired of that argument.


**Boundaries**

by Rose Thorne

Disclaimer: Don't own _Miraculous Ladybug_ or make any money writing fanfiction.

* * *

Marinette ignored the shadow that fell across her sketchbook, hoping to stave off the inevitable, counting silently.

At 17, Alya cleared her throat. Marinette finished the line she was on before looking up.

Lila was behind Alya. Behind them were several other members of the class.

Marinette regretted her decision to stay at school for lunch.

"Girl, you really need to give Lila a chance," Alya started.

This had been going on for too long. She closed her sketchbook, balancing it on her knees, and adopted a look of professional interest. "Why?"

Alya looked taken aback by the question, and Lila started a few theatrical sniffles. In the background, she noticed that Adrien had arrived back at school, and was headed over, attracted by the group.

Marinette let silence fill the air for a moment. "Alya, if a boy insisted I have a relationship with him even though I wasn't interested, would you insist I 'give him a chance'?" she finally asked.

"That's different!" Alya exploded. She looked furious, but there was a hint of unease there as well.

She tilted her head. "How?"

Alya made a couple starts and stops at trying to answer before managing, "It's not romantic!"

"So you're saying I am required to enter any relationship someone wants so long as it's not romantic? Like if Chloé decided I had to be her new bestie?"

They all knew what that meant, from Chloé's treatment of Sabrina.

Alya stared at her, nonplussed.

Marinette slid her sketchbook under her arm and stood, bringing herself to Alya's eye level.

"Alya, I don't have to agree to _any_ relationship I don't want to, regardless of what the relationship would entail. No means no. I don't _have_ to like anyone I don't want to, and expecting me to pretend is expecting me to _lie_. And as I've said before, _I don't like liars_."

Alya looked shocked and uncertain. A look of rage crossed Lila's face before being hidden behind fake tears. Behind her, their classmates looked torn—they clearly wanted to comfort Lila, but maybe they realized Marinette had a point, that it was wrong to force her to befriend her.

Behind them, Adrien had stopped, an amazed and almost flummoxed look on his face.

Marinette walked around the group to him. "A-Adrien? Are you okay?"

She found herself shoved out of the way as Lila rushed to cling to him. "She's so mean!"

Adrien came out of his daze at her touch, frowning at her. Then, surprisingly, he pulled his arm out of her grasp.

"I keep asking you to stop touching me," he told her. "And Marinette doesn't have to be friends with anyone, especially someone who nearly got her expelled."

Absolute silence greeted that pronouncement, no one offering any defense of Lila. Lila herself looked like she'd been sucker-punched. It was a good look on her.

Marinette stared at him open-mouthed. He'd said they were in this together, but he'd stayed silent until now and she'd started to doubt it. When he turned to her, she felt like a deer in headlights.

"I really needed to hear that, Mari. You're right: no one has to be friends with anyone they don't want to. Your boundaries should be respected."

"S-so should yours," she squeaked.

The smile she received was like witnessing a supernova, it was so bright. She felt like a planet in its blast wave, about to explode.

But instead when he stepped forward and folded her into a hug, it felt like the world had turned right side up for the first time in months.

When the hug ended, a hand on her shoulder startled her.

Alya's expression was almost hangdog. "I'm sorry, girl. You're right. It's not any of my business, and I shouldn't be pressuring you."

Marinette offered her a little smile. "Thanks, Alya."

She knew Lila would try to get back at her somehow, that she'd have to be on her toes. But with Adrien by her side and her classmates no longer pressuring her and maybe Alya free of Lila's claws at least a little bit, Marinette felt like maybe she could handle it.

* * *

I can see Alya being drawn into this, as Lila is a manipulator who preys on people's virtues and turns them into liabilities—that's the most insidious thing about Lila. Since Alya's big on justice, perceiving Marinette as unjust/unfair based on Lila playing the victim could be a big trigger for her. But I also think she it'd be easy to snap her out of it.


End file.
